Music-holder



W1). HENDERSON.

MUSIGEHOLDER.

PatentedAllg. 18, 1896.

(No Model.)

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. HENDERSON, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

MUSIC-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,897, dated August 18, 1896.

Application filed June 28, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM D. HENDER- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music- Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in music-holders; and the objects of my improvement are simplicity and economy of construction and general efiiciency and convenience of the holder.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my music-holder, together with a portion of the instrument to which it is attached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on the line so so of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached front elevation of one of the holding-fingers. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the stop-washer for use therewith. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the same on the line y. y of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the retainingsockets.

A designates a portion of the instrument, and B the rack or table for supporting the music, which may be attached to the instrument in any proper manner. Upon the front of this rack I provide suitable ways or guides 8 for the swinging fingers 9. In the preferred construction these ways are formed of a slotted plate secured to the front of the rack B, the edge of the rack being recessed behind the plate to admit the holding-nut 10 and to permit said nut to be moved along to diiferent positions in the length of said ways. In front of this plate I providea stop-washer 11, having a central perforation to receive the body of the set-screw12, and having also a stoppin 16, with a projecting head upon its back side and with its end projecting at the front. The swinging fingers 9 are perforated near the middle of their length to receive the setscrew 12, and are weighted at their lower ends, as at 13, so as to be held in an upright Serial No. 554,293. (No model.)

10 behind said plate. The head of the stoppin 16 in the stop-washer 11 will enter the slot in said plate, so as to prevent the rotation of said washer, while the projecting end of said pin 16 at the front of said washer will enter the curved slot 14 of the fingers 9 and limit their swinging movement. The shoulders on the set-screw 12 should be so arranged as to pinch the washer firmly between the shoulder which bears thereon and the nut and leave the fingers free to swing. Upon the front of the rack I secure holding-sockets 15, one of which is shown in side elevation in Fig. 7.

In case it is desired to hold the fingers 9 so that they will not project above the top of the rack 13 the set-screw is loosened and the finger with connected parts slipped along when turned into a horizontal position, so as to bring its upper end into one of the sockets 15 when the set-screw is tightened to hold the parts in their position, thereby holding the finger horizontally until its end is withdrawn from said socket. l have shown four of such sockets for the sake of symmetry. If the pivoted fingers do not have the stop-washer or other devices to limit their swinging movement, then the socket at either side of each finger may be used to thus hold them hori-- zontally; but when the stop-washers are employed to limit the movement of the fingers, so that their upper ends can be turned only toward the left, then only the sockets which are immediately at the left of each can be used, the other sockets being solely for ornament. It is therefore evident that they may be omitted, if desired.

The music is placed upon the rack and the holding-fingers adjusted to the desired position thereon. When the leaves are turned, the fingers can swing so as to permit the leaves to be easily turned. As soon as a leaf has passed a finger it will return to its former position by gravity. The stop-washer and its pin connection with the curved slots limit the swinging movement of the fingers to prevent their upper ends from being turned toward the right beyond an upright position, at the same time permitting them to swing toward the left with perfect freedom.

-While I prefer to employ the stop-Washer, its pin, and the curved slot, it is evident that they might be dispensed with, desired, Without changing the other features of my invention.

The particular construction of the parts in all their details is not essential to my invention, and I reserve the right to make such changes as fall Within the province of the mechanic.

The parts may be made of such material or materials as may be desired.

I claim as my invention- 1. The rack having longitudinal Ways and the Weighted pivoted fingers at its front edge, means for adjusting said fingers longitudinally to different points on said Ways and sockets on the rack into which the ends of said fingers may be inserted to hold them in a horizontal position, substantially as de scribed and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a rack provided with longitudinal Ways, a pivotal stud or bolt adjustable longitudinally on said Ways, the loosely-pivoted swinging fingers mounted on said stud or bolt, and means for loosening and tightening the clamping pressure of the said pivotal bolt on said Ways Without interfering With the freely-swinging action of the said fingers substantially as described.

3. The combination of the rack, the longitudinal Ways or guides, the pivoted fingers having the curved slots, the stop-Washers having the pins 16 and the holding-screw, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM D. HENDERSON.

Witnesses ROBERT A. LOWE, ALBERT E. LEGGETT. 

